Tagore Lived Next Door

Solitude, stunning vistas, and a perfect writer’s nook are the highlights of a stay at V Resorts Ramgarh

- Joanna Lobo

Why are you going to Ramgarh?” enquires my driver. We are in the middle of a nine-hour drive from Delhi. I tell him I’m on holiday, and need a break from the chaotic city life. He looks confused. It is off-season and tourists are a rare sight at this time.

My room at the hilltop V Resorts Ramgarh has views of the tree-clad mountains looming over the houses and the many resorts that dot the lower region of Ramgarh (Talla). The six year-old property in the upper region of Ramgarh, locally known as Malla, feels like an extravagant homestay. The main cottage has three rooms, a dining and living area, a porch and a balcony, and a kitchen one level below the ground. My room is simple with wooden floors, blinds on the windows and dim lighting. There’s a cosy reading nook and no TV—a stay here is all about the views of the valley.

The fourth room is the Writers’ Cottage, about 100 metres away. The name is inspired by the stories of two writers who were famous in this region, Mahadevi Verma and Rabindranath Tagore. It is believed that Verma got the idea of writing Lachma here in Ramgarh; and that Tagore wrote parts of his epic Gitanjali at mountain retreats in Ramgarh and Almora. The setting is ideal for a writer on the move or for those looking for a retreat. The view is inspiring, the spotty Internet connectivity ensures minimal digital distractions, and the absence of noise can be conducive to creative thinking.